Where is the batch code on a perfume bottle or a cosmetic product?

A batch code is a short combination of 3 to 8 letters and digits. It is laser-etched under the glass, ink-jetted on the base, or embossed under the box flap. It is not the 13-digit barcode: the EAN identifies the product on a shelf, the batch code identifies when it was made.

How do I check how old a cosmetic is from its batch code?

Find the 3 to 8 character code under the bottle or under the box flap, then type or scan it into CosmeScan. The tool calculates the manufacturing month, the age of the formula and the remaining shelf life, across 4,155 brands. The decoding runs in your browser, no photo is sent to a server.

How do I read a Dior, Chanel, Guerlain or L'Oréal batch code?

At LVMH (Dior, Guerlain, Givenchy) the code is 4 characters, for example 4B01. The first one is the last digit of the year, the second is the month with the letter I skipped (A is January, B is February). At L'Oréal (Lancôme, YSL, CeraVe) the third letter of a 6 character code carries the year: 38Z401, with X for 2024, Y for 2025 and Z for 2026. At Estée Lauder (MAC, Tom Ford) it is the third digit of a 3 character code, for example AB5. Every house has its own rule, and some do not decode publicly.

How can I tell if a perfume has gone off?

A perfume does not turn all at once like food. Its top notes oxidise with air, light and heat. CosmeScan sorts freshness into three states: fresh under 24 months, watch between 24 and 36 months, past it beyond 36 months. Three years after opening, citrus fades and the alcohol can turn. The little jar symbol on the label gives the exact figure for your product.

What is the ten-year batch code cycle?

The big houses reuse their sequences every ten years: 9P01 can mean February 2019 or February 2009. The vintage mode in CosmeScan switches between a current bottle and a collector from the 2010s. When two dates remain possible, CosmeScan shows the result as ambiguous instead of picking one at random.

How do I reassure a buyer about the freshness of a perfume I am selling?

CosmeScan generates a 1080 × 1080 dating card with the batch code, the manufacturing date calculated from that code and a verification link. The link takes the buyer back to the brand page and to any recall on record. The card is built for a Vinted, eBay, Leboncoin, Vestiaire or Mercari listing. It documents the dating, it is not an expert appraisal and it does not establish authenticity.

Unilever Prestige • Cruelty-Free Luxury Makeup

Hourglass Cosmetics バッチコード（製造番号）＆鮮度チェッカー

Hourglass Cosmetics（形式例: 2C01 (4 chars)、Unilever Prestige）の無料バッチコード検索ツール。製造年月、開封後使用期限PAO（12ヶ月）、EU安全リコールやメルカリ出品用証明書をCosmeScanで即座に確認。

Quick Hourglass Cosmetics Batch Verification

Decode Batch Code

中古やフリマで購入したHourglass Cosmeticsに不安がありますか？ 5枚の写真で無料AI画像鑑定（スプレーノズル、カシメ金具、ガラス底面、刻印バッチ）。

📸 無料AI画像鑑定 →

Hourglass Cosmetics Technical Decoding Rules

Batch Code Format	`2C01 (4 chars)`
Code Location	底面 of ambient lighting palette or concealer
Period After Opening (PAO)	12 months
Unopened Shelf Life	36 months

⚠️ Decennial Batch Cycle (Vintage Mode) : Hourglass Cosmetics recycles its batch codes every 10 years. CosmeScan includes a 1-tap Vintage Mode switch.

Hourglass Cosmetics 製造年別バッチコード早見表（2026年・2025年・2024年）

Batch Code	Year	Status (36M Unopened)
`6A01`	2026	✓ Fresh (Valid until 2029)
`5B01`	2025	✓ Fresh (Valid until 2028)
`4C01`	2024	⚠ Check PAO (Valid until 2027)
`2A01`	2022	✕ Past 36M Unopened Window